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Wake Forest Basketball: Remembering Demon Deacon legend Len Chappell

ByHolden Walter-Warner|
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - JANUARY 29: The mascot of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons rides a custom-built motorcycle prior to a game against the Syracuse Orange at Lawrence Joel Coliseum on January 29, 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - JANUARY 29: The mascot of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons rides a custom-built motorcycle prior to a game against the Syracuse Orange at Lawrence Joel Coliseum on January 29, 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

Len Chappell, a legend who led the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to the Final Four, passed away this week at the age of 77 years old.

Wake Forest announced the passing of Len Chappell on Friday night, a day after the former Demon Deacon passed.

His legacy is one unrivaled by almost all in Wake Forest sporting history.

Born a month after the calendar turned to 1941, Chappell grew up in Portage, Pennsylvania. When he sprouted up to the size of a basketball player, he made his way almost seven hours south to Winston-Salem to play for Wake Forest.

The big man spent three seasons at Wake Forest, quickly distinguishing himself from the pack. According to Sports-Reference, he averaged a monstrous 17.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during his first season.

From there, his domination only grew.

Chappell averaged double-doubles in his second and third season at Wake Forest, respectively. Both of those seasons, he took home the ACC Player of the Year award, staking an early claim to the honorary title as the conference’s greatest player of all-time.

Of course, a player is often measured by team success. The 1962 All-American has that notch on his belt as well, leading the Demon Deacons to the Final Four in 1962. There, they fell to Ohio State before narrowly beating UCLA in the now-defunct 3rd Place Game. The Demon Deacons haven’t been back to the Final Four since.

That’s right: Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, and Josh Howard are among those who failed to achieve the feat Chappell did.

Chappell went on to be the fourth overall pick by the Syracuse Nationals in the NBA Draft in 1962. He played nine years in the NBA and a couple in the ABA, becoming an NBA All-Star in 1964.

His professional accomplishments would always be dwarfed by his college heroics, though.

In 2002, the ACC named Chappell one of the greatest 50 players in conference history. His number 50 has been raised to the rafters.

Next: ACC Preseason rankings for 2018-19

The Wake Forest community will always remember Len Chappell as the one – and only – player to lead them to a Final Four.

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